What I’m Doing

In June of 2018, I am going to begin my solo journey on the Appalachian Trail! I am thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail to help raise awareness for mental illness and increase conversation about it. I will be taking the SoBo route, which means I am starting in Maine and ending in Georgia.

Google Images

For those of you who are not familiar with the Appalachian Trail, it is about 2,200 miles going through 14 states. Feel free to ask me questions about the trail, but at this point, I probably don’t know much more than the average person. The only way to really know the AT is the hike it! I’ll be updating my location when I can and posting estimates about where I will be. If anyone wants to meet up (or bring me food 🙂 ) I’d love the company!

The reason I’m hiking to help raise awareness for and remove the stigma of mental illness is that I have dealt with depression and anxiety for several years and through sharing my story, I aim to bring hope to and inspire others. Despite the number of people who struggle with mental health, it is not something that gets talked about. I’m hoping to help open up this discussion and spread awareness of organizations like Anxiety and Depression Association of America and iFred, whose goal is to support those who suffer from mental illness.